Mystery photo of veteran surfaces

WHEN Gillianne Nichole ordered a vintage army frame on eBay she didn't realise inside would be a small piece of someone's family history.

It wasn't until she took the frame apart for re-framing that hidden in the woodwork she found an image of a Digger with the words "Ivan Percy Wagga" scrawled on the back.

"As I was opening up the frame I found this gentleman who would have trained at Wagga," Ms Nichole said.

The discovery has prompted Ms Nichole to try and track down the family of the Digger in the hopes of giving them back a piece of their history.

While Ms Nichole conducted an internet search was able to find a Ivan Percy from Wagga, in southern NSW, in the 1930s and 1940s, it didn't provide any leads as to whether or not his family still resides in the area.

Answers from the frame-seller in nearby Junee also failed to provide any leads.

The value of such an item to a family isn't lost on Ms Nichole who has loved ones in the defence force including her mother whom she bought the frame for.

"She was selected to hold a ceremonial role at during the morning memorial at Villers Bretonneux as a part of the Federation Guard," Ms Nichole said.

"There was an article written by the local paper I wanted to frame for her."

She is hoping someone may come forward with information about the photograph, or the man it depicts, in the hope she can send it to his family.

While all she has is the name on the back, she believe the man's uniform may assist in helping confirming who he is.

"I was looking into the badge, which is the triangle, hoping that would indicate his unit or corps and I believe he may have served during the 1940s in the infantry or as a engineer at Wagga," Ms Nichole said.